Refrigerant Metering Device -- Every HVAC system has one of these, and heat pumps have two. They regulate the amount of refrigerant going through your air-conditioner. If it fails, either too much or too little refrigerant will course along the lines and either not perform well or will overwhelm the compressor and cause it to fail. A total failure of this component will result in a complete loss of operation.

As you can see, if we know what the contractor is actually paying for specific equipment, we know what their labor rates are, and we know what they bid the project for, then we can also use some basic algebra (or just let the program do it for us because we’re lazy) to figure out how much of a profit they are making off of us (you) at different bid prices:

Important Tip: Don’t just pay attention to the high-end of the price range! – which is what I know you are all looking at, but also look at the low range. If a contractor is cheaper than this, ask “why?” Usually it is because they don’t have liability insurance, workman’s compensation insurance, are unlicensed, all of the above, or worst yet, they don’t use HVAC technicians. You are spending a lot of money. Make sure that they are licensed (In California, check here at CSLB License Checker) and insured.

I hired duct cleaning company out of "Service Magic" website. I did not realize the name of his company was Duck cleaning of Central Florida...that should have given me a hint.. The guy did a very poor, incomplete job, and ruined a closet full of clothes when he sprayed up to clean a vent instead of taking it down and cleaning it outside. He left me with more than 1/2 dirty vents and ducts, did not do the air handler in the garage and failed to fog the system. He spent 6 useless hours at my residence and now his insurance is denying coverage..very disappointed in Service Magic....

As one of the duct cleaners that do it right it disgusts me to hear the horror stories some of my past customers have had with the companies using scare tactics, bait and switch schemes, and just plain intimidation to make a fast buck. The Ductz franchise as a whole has gone behind other "duct cleaners" in the last year to the tune of almost three-quarters of a million dollars. All of this expense could have been avoided had the customers been able to do some background research before hiring. NADCA is a great organization and should be a minimum requirement for finding a duct cleaner. Other great questions include "How long does the service take?" (2 techs, 4-5 hours for a small house, 7-9+ hours for a two system house), "Do you clean the entire system including all trunk lines and the air handler (blower motor and evaporator coil)?", "How do you validate the job you have done?" (before and after picture reports work great). Beware of duct cleaners that say their process will solve all your air quality concerns. Duct cleaning is one of several steps to take to rid your home of unwanted dust, dirt, mold, and other allergens.
As for the price I think my review was fair in stating what value we got for what I deemed to be a slightly higher price than others might charge. I did not take any stars off for the price, and still am not, but I am taking another star off because of Alberto's comments, which are deceptive and not the same thing he told me in person. Alberto, I suggest you stick with the high road in the future.

HELP is am drowing in LENT . It has been noticed in the master bedroom there is lent all over the furniture and the floors. I have dark brown/black furniture and same for the wooden floors. There are wods of lent every day. My furniture covered in lent. The rest of the house is fine just the tipical dust. I am sure my lungs are also full of lent. I looks like if my dryer vent was in my bedroom. Please help

If the system is sealed air-tight and a really good filtering system is in place then you should NEVER have to clean your ductwork. Most dust people see in their homes (on beds furniture etc....) is broken down insulation that is being blown into the home from the attic (venturi effect) where the duct bucket (box etc...) is not sealed at the sheetrock ceiling. On the return side, ANY leaks in the ductwork will pull hot attic air and dust into the system, clogging up everything.
I was able to get a next day appointment with them last week after multiple other providers did not have availability. The tech was on time and did a good job to diagnose and eventually replace the circuit board and get it up running again. The service itself would be 5 stars, although it did take a week to complete the job due to ordering the part.
I paid $49 for a groupon. When the guy came today, he did an inspection first and said the ductwork first needed to be treated for mold; $348 for a spray that would last 8 months or $680 for an UV light purifier that would last 2 years. Also, the furnace needed to be cleaned for another $260. When I told him to just clean the ductwork, he said I would owe an additional $305 because the groupon was only good for 1 return and I had 2. I sent him packing with no services performed. Thankfully I am only out of $49! I will complain to groupon.
Installing a split system may involve making modifications to the house itself for the necessary lines to be run. The heat exchangers are also more prone to picking up debris and must be cleaned on a regular basis. While they come with protective screens over the fan, care must still be taken to ensure that nothing gets in, especially in a home with children.
The amount of time it takes to clean a residential HVAC system depends on many variables such as the size of the home, the number of systems, the extent of the contamination and the number of HVAC cleaners performing the job. Ask at least two contractors to inspect your system and give you a time estimate for your particular system. This will give you a general idea of how long the job should take as well as an idea of how thoroughly the contractor plans to do the job.
Some research suggests that cleaning heating and cooling system components (e.g., cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers) may improve the efficiency of your system, resulting in a longer operating life, as well as some energy and maintenance cost savings. However, little evidence exists that cleaning only the ducts will improve the efficiency of the system.
I thought the price advertised at 129.95 for duct cleaning was great and called to clean our ducts. When they came in to do the the job I could not be home and my wife dealt with them. My wife ended up paying 954.00. They convinced my wife that there was 1.5 inches of mold built up on the Evaporators and coils. It is not the money, my wife could not go to the basement to witness the mold build up or the coil fouling. We have not cleaned our ducts for at least 10 years. The last price we paid for our duct cleaning was 150.00. My concern is that they told my wife not to turn on the heat for 2 hours due the strong chemicals they used to kill the mold. Are these chemicals approved as safe?
We are a hvac company that provide air duct cleaning service are minimum charge $400 to do a proper air duct cleaning with 2 techs avg 3-6 hours that includes sanitizing. I get phone calls all day about the $99 your not going to get much of a cleaning for that price it for them to get there foot in the door and up sell that the only way for them to stay in business. Just from my 15 years of duct cleaning experience.
HVAC equipment is estimated to last about 15 to 20 years. Yet over the years, parts go out and need to be repaired. Heat sensors, exchangers, and ducts can become worn out. Air conditioning motors may need repairing from time to time. For repairs to your heating and air conditioning systems, and even general maintenance, let HomeAdvisor help. Enter your zip code and let us connect you with prescreened HVAC repair services near you.